The Sword
by Sage of Eyes
Summary: Tyson really doesn't like leaving his brother to defend himself with a toothpick. The only problem is that he didn't like clubs like he did,liking pointy metal more so it would be pretty hard to do. So he makes him a new sword. A really, really, really, big sword. PercyXMulti.
1. Manticore:0 Percy:1

The Sword.

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Disclaimer: No monetary gain is made from this venture.

…

Prologue:

"Brother… I worried." Tyson entered our Cabin, and I was surprised by how serious the look on his face was while he spoke. I tried to think of something that might have bothered my cyclopean half-brother, but I came up blank on every turn. I sincerely hoped it had nothing to do with the campers, I had thought they just started warming up to him after our quest.

"Is anyone bothering you, big guy?" I asked, standing from my bed grabbing the shield watch and Riptide off my bedside table. I was more than a bit relieved when he shook his head in disagreement, glad to see that the interactions between my fellow campers and him that led me to believe that he was being accepted was not fake in the slightest.

"Fight with Scar, worried me." Tyson stated, his big brown eye turning watery. Scar… he probably meant Luke. "Hurt you bad."

I tried to reassure him, but the attempt was halfhearted, Luke had driven me off the ship without even trying. My old teacher was still quite the swordsman, and fighting him felt like trying to hit the wind. He didn't use have the camp's title of champion swordsman for nothing after all. Luke knew every single I was about to make, every single slash of mine could be blocked with ease, or even parried. Luke was beyond me in every way.

"Me no like worrying." Tyson muttered, he caught me in a gigantic bear hug. I felt a big tear leak from his eye and land on my head, or at least I hoped it was a tear, considering Tyson, the drop could easily have been some peanut-butter flavored drool. He pulled me off and grasped my hand, before pressing something against it. "So me made this for, Big Brother, so me no need to worry for him."

Energy washed through me as if I had just stepped into the saltwater fountain three feet away, I opened my hand and I was surprised to see a shard of rock that seemed to be chipped into shape surrounded by leather like a wrist band.

"Got lava from volcano, cooled with sea, not pretty though." Tyson seemed disappointed in admitting, I couldn't lie about it either. The shield was a lot better even with the half-finished etchings on it… but I appreciated the gift a lot since he made it with lava. "But strong enough to keep you safe!" He declared proudly.

"I really appreciate it Tyson," I mussed with his brown locks, making him chuckle, I wasn't surprised about how I had to tip-toe to do it either. He had grown during the quest, before I only had to reach to muss with my half-brothers hair. "If this keeps me as strong as I am in the sea, I'll handle Luke no problem."

I figured if I managed to draw blood from the God of Battle while I was within my father's realm, I could most certainly tire Luke out and force him to come back with use and explain himself.

Tyson shook his head, he reached out with his large hands and strapped the bracelet to my right hand, since the shield watch was on my left. I didn't even feel his skin, all that metalworking with Beckendorf must have done him a lot of good.

"Big Brother fight too fair with Scar." Tyson stated firmly, his face settling near to serious but with his chubby face I doubted anyone else would have noticed it besides me. "Scar keep beating brother so long as he try to fight fair too."

He touched the rock and my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as the bracelet turned into something that clearly wasn't only two inches long.

There was fire in my brothers eye as he met my shocked eyes, I was pretty sure I was grinning just as crazily as he was though.

"Fighting fair," Tyson stated gravely, I was amazed I was even able to lift the weapon, let alone swing it. "Is no good."

…

"Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth yelled and I winced as my earphone delivered the scream from my best friend at point blank range. "Thalia and I have the Di Angelos but a monster is after us!"

I straightened my back against the snow at that, I would have gotten up but the plan stated I was here to ambush whatever came out. The snow matched my clothes pretty well, but I left my white cap inside my mom's car. The white earmuffs that Grover had lent me kept my ears from falling off, but didn't do much to hide my black hair against the pure-white snow.

"What kind is it?" I question, making sure my shield was on my left arm, Riptide inside the shoulder holder Chiron had given me for my birthday so I could bring it out easier, and Tyson's gift strapped to the same spot the Cyclops had attached it months ago.

The doors of the school burst open and Annabeth ran out with Thalia and some really under-dressed kids with black hair and olive skin. Grover must not have been kidding about that dance he mentioned before I exited stage right, even Thalia and Annabeth didn't have their jackets while the two were dressed for some sort of fancy party.

Annabeth caught my eye and yelled. "Manticore!" Moments before the monster burst through the doors in an explosion of wood. Thalia was the least fazed since she already had her shield and spear pointed at the door the moment they left, Annabeth and the kids were blow away like ragdolls though and I was tempted to check on them.

Then the Manticore used its tail to sideswipe Thalia, sending her flying, and my options ran out as sharp objects flew from the tail and almost turned Annabeth into a Shish-Kebab.

I took a sprinting start, jumping down the school's snow-covered roof and becoming a one hundred and forty pound demigod missile as I planted my snow boots right into the monster's face. The spikes from its tail stopped firing the moment my boots landed on my target, the last spike almost going through Annabeth's eye socket barely flying an inch over her prone form.

The beat roared and thrashed its head against me, sending me flying up with monstrous strength. The monster's tail swiveled around to fire at me while I couldn't dodge, but I solved that problem by pressing the fourth button on my watch and allowing the shower of dangerous objects to catch the spikes at an angle that deflected them and forced me higher into the air. Thank the gods Tyson had taught me how to sue the shield properly alongside the weapon he gave me, otherwise a segment of my shield would've broken and poison would have been gathering into my veins already.

I was about ten feet above the Manticore when the last spike hit, and I was already at nine feet with the Manticore leaping towards me mouth wide open when I sealed the shield away and brought both my hands behind my back. The manticore's teeth were inches away from my jugular, its paws about to tear into my shoulders when I swung the sword that Tyson made just for me over my head and into the very surprised Manticore.

My very own Fully-Grown, Cyclops sword, was ten feet and two wide'Don't Fuck with Me', sea obsidian chipped into an edge, lined with plain old iron on the back with leather wrappings on the handle, made by my Cyclopean brother Tyson with the express reason of kicking anything's ass. The weapon made by a giant for giants, weighed around a thousand and a half pounds for everyone else while being as light as a feather for me, thanks to the power of the ocean flowing through it.

Needless to say the sword twice my body length sliced through the monster like a crowd of Yankees fans in an all you can eat buffet.

My feet didn't even reach the ground after the monster dissolved, the sword burying itself into the ground and staying there before I sealed it away, back into its regular shape as a rather ugly looking obsidian shard strapped onto my right arm.

Thalia punched me in the shoulder in greeting, Annabeth already on her back with the younger brother supporting his sister right behind them.

"Nice job, man." She set up a fist pump, which I gladly returned. Her eyes got misty as she eyed the giant slash on the ground that was steadily filling with snow. "Did it really need to be that complicated, Percy?" She smirked, leveling her eyes to me in good humor. "You could've just dropped the thing on him like that hellhound a few weeks back."

I stuck my tongue out at her.

"If you have a problem with me breaking the badass scale on a daily basis you should wait in the snow for thirty minutes." I snarked, more than a bit affronted at how she easily called out my masterful plan to kill monsters. "Try and find something to do while freezing your toes off."

"Well excuse me, Mr. I Got Snow Up My Pants," Thalia fired back with a smirk crossing her arms and showing off her own magical weapons that looked like punk-rocker bracelets of all things. "Maybe you could spend thirty minutes dancing with I-Have-Two-Left-Hooves Grover instead of lazing around and turning snow yellow out here."

"Well Miss I Can't dance So I Have To Blame A Poor Satyr-"

"Ummm…" The girl raised her hand weakly as her brother struggled to keep them both up. "Sorry to interrupt your flirting." I swear my cheeks turned into two underwater volcanoes, and Thalia wasn't doing much better as she coughed aside with a red blush on her usually pale face. "But is that helicopter our way out of here?"

Even the unconscious Annabeth seemed to say "Helicopter?" as confusedly as me and Thalia as we turned toward the helicopter with at least sic men armed with military gear hanging off it with its searchlights right on us.

Grover decided to appear at that moment, took one look at the Helicopter with enough firepower to level a block, and decided to faint right away in a daze.

I swear I heard him say "Justin Timberlake is fine." At least once, whilst directing his voice at Thalia before the concrete underneath his hooves knocked him clear out.

That was a story that I needed to hear later, so I had to keep these idiots from killing us.

I grasped the pen on my shoulder and flung it towards the helicopter jumping over Thalia as she brought out Aegis. Chiron had been quite pragmatic when he was teaching me how to correctly use a blade that always returned to its scabbard and was perfectly balanced, thoroughly showing me how to throw the sword perfectly within the span of seconds. The sword flew through the air, my augmented strength sending it faster than a spear thrown by Beckendorf. The Celestial Bronze wouldn't kill the humans, they were too unimportant, but I hoped to take out the control mechanism and make it crash.

Still, I released my giant blade once more, manifesting a solid wall ten feet long and two feet wide to protect us, the girl swiftly aligning her body against my back with her brother pressed against her own. Thalia came up to my side and knelt down, adding her round shield to the defense while static and ozone crackled at her right side as lighting gathered on the tip of her spear.

I sincerely hoped my sword would just make these guys crash, getting friend alive by lighting was not a good way to die.

My sword touched the cockpit of the helicopter and…

Turned it into a murder of crows?

"Is that supposed to happen?" The female Di Angelo stated idly behind me, curiosity seemingly overcoming seeing a helicopter and men turn to a murder of crows. Thalia's glance stated the exact same question.

I opened my mouth.

"Mortals should not interfere with the actions of the gods." An auburn haired girl of extraordinary beauty stepped out of the forest. Beside her clad in silver parkas and other winter gear, as she was, a gaggle of girls suddenly appeared, all wielding silver bows arrows notched and ready to fly. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was, especially with the full moon behind the group. She caught my eye and inclined her head the tiniest bit.

I bowed my head and sealed my blade.

"Lady Artemis." I greeted the goddess.

…


	2. Snow Fights With Princesses

The Sword

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Disclaimer: No monetary gain at all. At All. At allllll.

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Chapter 2.

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Huntresses liked their privacy, I figured stroking the fire that they had 'graciously' set for myself. As the virgin goddess, Artemis wasn't exactly the most welcoming to men, she had turned men into jackalopes for just meeting her eyes. I had the luck of being not near the age so that she considered our locking gazes to be of perverted intentions and I still breath through my nose rather than a snout.

Despite the fact I was at the perimeter of the camp, in negative fifteen weather, away from the warm tents, I considered myself particularly lucky in still being human and having a nice, warm fire for company. I spent an hour making a little three-quarter igloo that was a few inches above my height. Being Annabeth's friend had its perks, one of them was to know how to make a proper dome. I kept the fire on the corner without a roof, and settled myself on the side that had snow slowly piling on top of it. The fire didn't need a roof, since, you know, it's a fire. Overall I felt pretty smug at my housing, and I didn't need to lie about the fact that I made sure it was bigger than the nearest tent as a big 'HA HA, I HAVE A TENT TOO' to the huntresses who were all for me freezing my nose off.

They were sleeping now though, and I could rub it in their faces some more until they woke back up. I couldn't even sleep in fear of hypothermia, since the fire didn't seem all that strong after I stopped stroking it any less than the thirteen times every minute that I usually did. I was getting really worried my ADHD will pull off the Hail Mary of Attention Deficit and I would freeze my nose off before the sun rose.

So all in all, it was boys one and girls two.

Well the boys without the comfy sleeping bags anyway or were sleeping in the school within their dorms anyways.

No guests allowed Grover said, what a pile of steaming crap.

Nico had been considered far too young to be considered of age, so he slept with his now-Hunter sister Bianca. One of the few facts that kept me from falling asleep was that I hoped that she thought clearly when she took the vow, and the consequences of leaving her brother behind at camp. He was about my age, I would call him little but he's about my age and I can imagine I looked the same two years ago, and would get into camp at the same age I did.

But with the knowledge his sister chose a goddess over him and left him alone in a strange place.

I felt the corner of my lip tug itself down, away from the amicable line I had nursed it into the entire night. I would be lying if I didn't think ill of the girl I just met, but I really couldn't imagine doing the same thing she did, I would never abandon Tyson after all. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that if I had the choice to stay with the big lug with dad I most certainly would, without even the slightest trace of it.

The fact that Bianca was leaving her brother for camp, left a bitter taste in my mouth. The thoughts still brought bile into my mouth though, I thought it tasted like those nasty deviled eggs Grover smuggled out of the prom, and I didn't like either one a single bit.

I needed to distract myself from the inevitable, since pocking the fire was letting my mind wander too much, the world was my rhetorical oyster as long as I didn't stray far enough that I could return quickly enough to make sure my fire didn't go out. I could always start practicing with my big sword, but that would soak me in sweat and allow my fire to go out.

Anything I wanted to do was basically overruled by the stupid pile of burning wood.

Then ADHD worked its magic.

Sparks plus sticks equals fire.

Fire plus wood equals pile of fire.

More wood plus fire equals bigger fire.

Giant sword plus trees equal more wood.

?

Profit.

I lifted myself from the patch of wet grass I had been sitting on for an hour, putting away my poker stick a.k.a Riptide and leapt out of my igloo.

I took sight of my nearest victim- err tree- and struck.

…

"Was this really necessary Jackson?" Zoe Nightshade must have been an early riser, since I was sure that my watch said it was only four thirty at the very most.

I blinked as I sealed my sword into its less threatening form as a manly arm band –it's not bracelet dammit Thalia- and faced the defacto huntress in command underneath only Artemis.

Using my miraculous brain I figured she was referring to the giant tree that was currently on fire right outside my now-two-story igloo.

I had gotten pretty bored two hours ago.

"I didn't want to freeze to death from the tiny fire that you were so benevolent to give." I replied snappily, turning to face the lieutenant of Artemis, pushing back some of my sweaty hair from my hand. My body was suitably warm from all the exercise to the point that my jacket was starting to get inconvenient.

She raised an immaculate eyebrow when I answered though, and I suddenly remembered that even though I was still wearing the white snow jacket I wasn't necessarily wearing a shirt underneath. Swinging a giant sword gets a person sweaty really fast, after all, and after an hour of using my brother's gift the shirt was sopping wet. I couldn't risk it freezing over my skin, but I could exactly go topless while it was snowing.

So I was technically facing the defacto leader of a group of forever chaste girls covered in sweat and wearing my jacket over my shoulders.

My face felt like an oven, and I hastily turned around to put my arm through the sleeves and zip the jacket up. I was slightly disgusted at the feel of the jacket's rough interior against my wet skin, but I really didn't want to be turned into a jackalope. When I turned back she was examining my magnificent igloo with a rather apt expression on her face.

I was about to gloat about it when she walked to the corner snow-brick and kicked it, causing it to turn back to its previous existence as a mass of snow.

Judging from the victorious smirk on her face, I wouldn't put it past her to be reveling on the horrified expression that was on my face.

The shock wore off within a moment, and I managed to put up a trembling finger at her general direction.

"W-why?" I managed to stutter, the sight of more than two and a half hours of my time suddenly tumbling into nothingness.

She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning on her left leg, as she smirked. Given the fact she looked like a Persian princess at a skiing competition with her silver suit, tanned skin, fair features and ebony black hair, the expression would've had most guys stop dead in their tracks if only for the sheer fact that she looked a lot like royalty. But I was really, really pissed and I was sure that my eye was twitching along with my finger as something I was sure was a growl was emanating from my chest. She better have a damn well good reason fo-

"You reveled in revealing your shameful body into my eyes." She declared and I was sure my jaw dropped as her smirk got even bigger. "For that I have taken measures to right the scales by destroying another eyesore-"

She didn't finish her sentence because I chucked my sweat-covered jacket with ocean-enhanced strength right at her face.

When she took it off, her teeth gritted in anger and eyes narrowed, I was glaring straight back at her in my full topless glory.

"Well what are you going to do now?" I growled, crossing my arms, my watch and bracelet making a clinking sounds as they made contact, and mimicking her previous posture, complete with smirk. Riptide returned to my pocket from the jackets strap a moment after. "Can't do anything back to me now can you," I pocked her right in the forehead, infuriating her further, "little girl?"

She slapped my had away and rounded up to me, her onyx eyes glittering furiously as her lips curled in a snarl.

"You," She poked my in the chest, "Do." Another poke. "Not" Poke. "Ever" Poke. "Touch Me." Poke times infinity.

I grabbed her wrist an pulled it up, I wasn't necessarily taller than her by so much, which was saying something since I had been growing like a maniac ever since I got Tyson's gift. Dad managed send up a pile of cash for shopping every now and then, since I practically kept outgrowing my pants every couple weeks. She must have been six feet even and I barely broke that a month ago, given the fact that the copper-skinned girl was forever sixteen or whatever age she was, she must've had giants for parents or something.

The two of glared at each other and we probably would have kept on doing it for another couple days if not for…

"PERCY!" Thalia screamed, I was surprised she didn't wake up the entire camp in the process.

That broke the two of us out of our glaring stupor, and we both managed to turn and glare at Thalia at the same time with the same question on our lips.

"What do you want?!"

Thalia seemed to falter for a moment, but she regained her footing within seconds and pointing an accusatory finger at me and Artemis's lieutenant.

"You are shirtless, grabbing her hand, and… sweaty." She stated, staring straight at me before looking straight at Nightshade. "You're covered in sweat, and you both have no space between the two of you!"

I was pretty sure that the two of us were blocking for a few moments before Zoe stepped back after I relinquished her hand, smoothed back her air, crossed her arms and stared at me right in my eyes and then turned to catch Thalia's own pair of eyeballs.

"We shall never speak of this again." She glared at me once more. "I am going to bathe." She declared and walked away as if she hadn't just knocked over my fucking igloo.

Well that won't do, and I sure as hades wasn't going to let her have the last world.

"Thanks for the warning." I snarked, picking up my snow covered jacket, brushing away the "I'll be sure to let the fish know to evacuate before you taint the waters."

She stopped in her tracks, I saw her mouth open and close for a few seconds before she stomped away clenched fists at her sides and her teeth gritted. I really was never happier to ever winging an argument ever before, and mom always said arguments were stupid, but I really didn't want for her to win any of our arguments.

"Well," Thalia commented dryly next to me, pointedly ignoring my lean form born from the extensive training I needed to use the sword that liked catching the ground if it wasn't swung in mid-air. "I never thought I'd be happy to be the Child Of Prophecy, but thinking what you'd make people do to your corpse if they ever got their hands on you makes me glad the decision to save life as we know it doesn't rest in your hands any longer."

I turned on my heel.

"She and Ares can start a club for all I care." I snorted, thinking the best way you dig out my shirt in the deluge of snow.

I hope Apollo came soon, I really needed to rest.


	3. A Maybe Girlfriend

The Sword

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Disclaimer: Never going to own it~ never going to own it~ never going to make moneyyyyy. Guchi guchi goo.

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Chapter 2.

…

"Your lunges need to take up more distance to be effective, Mike." I drew the young camper's attention when I addressed him. I hefted my own sword, Riptide since I'd probably take down the entire group of younger campers if I went around swinging Tyson's sword, and took up the stance I had shown them. I gestured to my legs with the point of the blade, and he nodded as he mimicked me.

"Twist your body." I went through the aforementioned motion, twisting my body as I lunged. Thrusting Riptide from the waist, and with two hands, felt odd since I've mostly utilized swings, but I had enhanced strength to help with that fact. "Transfer your weight onto your foremost knee as your bring your foot down, and step as strong as you can on the ground to make sure you don't lose balance."

A few of the campers grunted from exertion when they did the motions. I would've been normally worried about their physical attributes , but they were Apollo's kids and they spent most of their time on the archery range instead of rock climbing and canoeing that most of the kids did for fun around here.

The bell rang, and there were a few praises of relief that worried me a bit. Teaching younger campers were expected from all the heads of cabins, I got out of before because I was pretty young, but with all my experience in fighting monsters it was bound to happen. The shard that represented Tyson's gift in a way that I wouldn't immediately get flagged by the nearest police cruiser, kept me supplied with the stamina and strength I got from fighting in the sea. There weren't very many campers, though Clarisse came pretty damn close, that could keep up with me when I had it on.

Taking the bracelet off felt too odd to do as well, I felt more than a bit incomplete without it on my person. That didn't mean I was addicted to it or anything, I was born of the ocean, being in it felt as if I was where I was supposed to always be. Taking the bracelet off felt more like taking off a limb than a bracelet.

I heard a thud behind me, and I felt my eyes widen as all Apollo's children, the cabin I had been helping out, began to keel over one by one. I rushed over to the nearest camper, and checked for a pulse, it was present. They all had steady pulses, but I couldn't get them to wake up.

Poison in the water? Couldn't, I would've detected it.

Exhaustion? They weren't weak, even Aphrodite's children could manage my training.

I was wringing my head for an answer when I remembered that there were other campers in the area. Was it one of Kronos's plots, was he attacking the camp?

I took a glance at the campers near me, leaving them behind would be stupid, but I couldn't think of another plan but leave them there.

Then I remembered, Grover.

While we were saving him from getting married to my very distance cousin, he had formed an empathy bond with me to contact me about his capture. The downsides of being able to talk to one of your oldest friends through your mind was that if one of us died the other would end up in a coma, or dead to.

There were certain things that the bond was good for though, like gathering information while protecting some unconscious kids.

I thought as hard as I can, and when I encountered thoughts of burritos and tin cans I spoke up, in my mind, as ferociously as I could muster.

Grover said something about mind talking with a human being more like sending a jumble of pictures and intent than actually talking. I was pretty sure that I couldn't have managed to do it without that particular piece of advice, but he always complained about getting headaches when I tried too hard on sending thoughts.

Since he seemed to be having lunch, I had to use a battering ram of thoughts to break through he burrito and tin can entrenchments.

I sent him feelings of shock, the Apollo campers, and something along the lines of them being knocked out and a few questions on whether we were being attacked. I didn't hear a response, except from some mild surprise, and the sudden odd thought of Artemis and how she was so cute.

I would agree, since she had the form of a twelve year old and that was something that most kids could be called. I was more than a bit apprehensive when he had totally different thoughts on the term cute than the kinds grandpas would use on little tykes.

I sent him a pair of pictures from the Juniper girl that he'd been so shy around, and I felt his sudden spike of embarrassment surge through our links.

'Percy! Don't do that sort of thing!' Grover mentally hissed, since he was actually born to use empathy links, he had a much better grasp on sending thoughts across the private channel between our brains. 'I could've been turned into a pincushion by the hunt-'

I sent him the old message again, sweeping my eyes over the collapsed sons and daughters of my cousin.

'I'll get Chiron." Had he been actually talking to me physically, I would've heard a stammer. Mental communication, apparently, didn't like repeating itself so most of that was cut out.

I sent him a few images of a thumbs up, before returning to the relative quiet of my own mind.

…as quiet as someone's mind with ADHD could be anyway.

I looked around the clearing filled with comatose teenagers for a moment, before deciding it would be best they wouldn't wake up next to really sharp objects.

…

"Thanks for the help, Katie." I wiped my hands on my camp-half blood sweatshirt. They were a lot breezier and comfortable than the shirts, even though they were still bright orange. I wondered why there weren't very many people wearing them, when I remembered that the weather inside the camp boundary was almost always nice and sunny, except at night. "Would've been a bit difficult carrying these guys without your help."

"Just because not all of us can swing around a giant sword, doesn't mean we're useless Percy." She gave me a stern glare, and put one of her hands at her hip, but her freckles and the two low pigtails made it cute instead of actually looking scary. Had I been anymore less accustomed to the fact that most of the girls wore short-shorts around here, my eyes would have been drawn to hers and earned a glare that was actually scary. "We can do a lot more than just grow a couple of fruits."

"Whoa there." I held up my hands in surrender, curling the side of my lips upward the tiniest bit. "Please don't sick your massive vines on the poor swordsman."

She smirked, "So long as you keep in mind the pecking order in these parts, we won't be having any problems, youngster." Katie gave off an odd Texas accent, but if she a cowboy hat on I would've been more than a bit.

"Right, right." I decided to play along. "Lowly swordsmen on the bottom and scary girls with power over plants on the top."

She stuck out her tongue, and I gave a chuckle as I scratched the back of my head.

"If you two keep flirting I'll wrap you both up like peas," a voice from the back of the cabin suddenly yelled over the snoring children of Apollo. "At least do it in your own cabin Jackson!"

"She's too afraid I'll take advantage of her!" I yelled back, getting some laughter from everyone else. "And the harpies would eat me alive if I did1"

"They'd eat you alive if you two were making out in your bed, or because you two were flirting in your cabin?" Another one of Katie's siblings spoke up as she made sure Mike had all his limbs in his bed, and not dangling off.

"Both if I could manage!" I winked at Katie, giving off a lopsided smile, her face was basically a tomatoes with eyes, nose mouth and black hair at this point. Our eyes met and she all but covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. "She's worth it though!"

There was a chorus of 'oohs' from the older group of Katie's siblings and 'ewws' form the younger ones. They went back to chattering and generally motherhenning the comatose campers onto their beds though, quickly forgetting the conversations as teenager do.

I felt something touch my hand.

Her blush was dying down, but there was something in her eyes that drew my attention. She looked really cute, in a way I didn't really recognize with Katie until that point.

"I'm worth getting eaten alive?" She asked and I blinked at how softly she asked the question, I didn't even know a girls voice could be that soft.

I blinked rapidly, memories of what my mother said about complimenting girls and realizing that I really did compliment her, even if it was somewhat lopsided in a way. I was about to say something along the lines of it being a joke, but then remembered the rest of my conversation with my mom.

"Don't you ever." She told me wagging her finger. "Say that anything you said good about a girl is a joke."

I was sure I was blushing like an idiot, but rubbed the back of my head.

"Y-yeah," My tongue felt like lead when I spoke, and it felt like a dozen Cyclops were throwing fiery cannonballs in my belly. "Any guy with a pair of eyes could see that, Katie."

She looked into my eyes, her eyes a brownish-yellow that reminded me of golden wheat. I swear I could imagine the strands moving like wind blew past them. I was reminded of molten gold in for the briefest of moments before she looked away, turning her head with enough force as to make her low ponytails cover the sides of her rather pale face.

"Idiot." She muttered underneath her head, and I felt her thin fingers go through my hands. The way Katie did it had turned me to solid stone in a way Medusa would have had a hard time replicating.

I didn't know what to think, really. Did I have a girlfriend now? Was that how it worked?

Her hand squeezed mine, dragging me along as she said something along the lines of Chiron telling her to bring me to the Big House immediately. I squeezed back and she faltered for the briefest of moments, looking back at me with her face flushed brightly with red across where her freckles usually were.

She was really cute, the way my satyr friend thought about Artemis way, and not the little girl type of way.

I felt her grip on my hand tighten when she looked away, and I returned the favor. She kept dragging me along, and I really didn't feel the need to rush, even though I could have easily picked her up and carried her with me to the Big House in fifteen seconds flat.

I really didn't want to rush for some reason.

When we reached the Big House, I was sporting my own blush and she didn't meet my eyes.

"U-ummm." I wanted to ask her what exactly had just happened.

"I need some time to think." She said abruptly, meeting my eyes once more. I was lost in a sea of gold. Her hand reached out for a moment, before stopping, I caught her thin hand and she blushed in that cute way I found myself liking a lot "I-I don't want to rush into things-"

I found that I didn't want to rush it either, but I didn't want to make it seem like I didn't want to be with this girl that was somehow the same Katie Gardner I've known for two years. She was cute and adorable in ways that wanted me to keep her close, but I knew she was still the same girl that kept all her siblings in line and could practically make her own forests.

I dragged her towards me, bending my knee down so that we were near the same height as she didn't have Titan blood or Cyclops Half Brother's gifts working for her.

I embraced her, putting my chin on her shoulder. She smelled like a dozen of the best fruits I could imagine and more. Her heartbeat was as crazy as mine and I wondered if she could feel mine to. Her hands were frozen for a moment, along with the rest of her body, but I felt her hands reach the small of my back.

"I'll wait." I stated simply as we let go, she didn't look away this time, even though we were both sporting massive blushes. "Take as long of a time as you need."

She waved at me as she walked off the porch and a waved back.

"Playing with a maiden's heart will cause thee great pain, Jackson." Zoe Nightshade stated, her eyes smoldering as my own met hers, she was leaning against the door frame. She probably heard everything. "Though, if that girl was with you I would doubt the fact her heart is pure."

"I don't play around." I growled, and I was more than a bit surprised at the hostility I had in my voice. I actually felt angry for her even saying I was playing around with Katie's heart. "And don't you dare talk about her like that."

We glared at one another she recoiled when she realized that I was actually furious this time around, rather than the small anger that I had a day ago. At that moment of surprise, I saw pain and anger in her eyes along with… longing?

My temper stopped when I remembered why most of the Hunters were with Artemis. The fact that Zoe must have been betrayed by a man she loved dulled the anger, but not into pity or anything like it.

She was just a girl that had her heart broken, and couldn't get over it.

I headed into the Big House, wondering if immortality kept more than a person's body stuck in time.

…


	4. Dammit

The Sword

…

Disclaimer: No monetary gain for this guy…

…

Fun with Arrows.

…

"You don't like this." Annabeth pointed out beside me, fixing up her leg protectors as I swung Riptide experimentally. I wasn't too keen on using the sword as I used to, given the ten feet of awesome Tyson had made for me, but I figured Hunters weren't as tough as they acted. That meant that, like campers, they wouldn't be able to handle a giant sword like the one I had easily.

"An entire Cabin is basically comatose and we're out playing games." I stated dryly as I recapped Riptide onto the cap attached to my shoulder strap. "I would be surprised if anyone felt up to this."

"Chiron is doing the best he can with Dionysus." Annabeth gave a sigh as she crossed her arms whilst gesturing to her back. I moved readily to strap up the leather armor she chose to use. Heavy armor didn't mix well with invisibility caps, after all. "This should grant some rest from all the worry inside the camp, maybe even speed up Mr. D's thinking time if no one disturbs him."

She grabbed my hand as I withdrew from my meticulous knot-tying and stared into my eyes with her stormy grey.

"Don't worry so much about them Percy." She gave s wide smile, and I felt heat rush up my face in embarrassment. "Even if they're not a certain son of Poseidon, they're still Heroes and we can handle ourselves when we're in a tight spot."

"I just don't like it." I confessed letting go of her hand, "I don't like not being able to do anything for them," I wracked my head for the right words, Dyslexia wreaking havoc in my mind. "I feel… unnecessary."

My oldest friend gave a smirk and reached up for my cheek, pinching it savagely down.

"You don't need to be necessary, Seaweed Brain." She gave a satisfied smirk. "Thalia's got the prophecy in the bag, you just need to worry about making sure Katie doesn't end up hating you by doing something stupid."

My mind went blank for a few moments, she let go of my cheek and I watched her walk away to set up defenses with the Ares cabin.

How in Hades did she find out so fast!?

…

Tyson's shield thudded against the amazing force from the arrows that made contact with it. The strength of each shot was almost like that of Chiron's arrows, and he had horse muscles on his side to completely own most archers.

If not for Tyson's gift I was sure that I would've been sent flying by the first dozen that I blocked, but I managed to slowly advance by keeping my shield up and my body tucked and holding Riptide close.

"Daggers!" I heard a call come from somewhere, it was Zoe's voice, "The boy does not have his larger Sword available! He shall fall easily, take his shield and sword and tie him against the rocks!"

I stood to my full height as the Hunters dropped from the tall trees of the forest. They held silver, glowing blades in their hands, they looked sharp enough to cut through animals with ease.

There were also thirteen of them, just as Annabeth had predicted the number of their main defensive force would be. I each one of the girls had centuries of experience on me in terms of fighting, they were fighting with people they knew since they were actually fourteen or fifteen.

I was outmatched and outnumbered, I didn't even need Annabeth to tell me that particular fact.

After all, this was exactly the situation I seemed to shine anyways, and I already knew Annabeth was counting on me to taking these guys down and distract them from Thalia's assault with Clarisse from the west.

A sense of calmness washed over me as I met Zoe's defiant glare.

"You want my weapons?" I stated in Greek, just as the ancient King Leonidas did so long ago. The fact that Zoe looked Persian did not escape me the slightest. I spread out my legs, and allowing the shield and sword to return to my sides. "Come and get them."

There was no hesitation on their part, they attacked the moment they thought I was underestimating them.

They really needed to learn to not discount the years of training Camp gave on attacking an opponent that was larger and faster than you were. They probably thought I would be like a Cyclops, gauntly and lanky in a fight with only strength to back me up.

Their experience would work against them, since they thought they were faster than me like most Cyclops.

The first huntress slammed against my shield before she realized how fast I exactly was in comparison with my pureblooded Cyclope brother. The shield cough her entire torso and I flung her overhead and behind me with ease.

I blocked a set of knives going for my kidneys with Riptide, I turned my heel and snapped out my leg on the apex of the turn. The poor girl's eyes widened before she hit one of the many trees of the area with a 'thud'

I backed up when they encircled me, I capped Riptide up since I didn't want to maim them in a game and willed my watch to return to its old form. I caught the two huntresses blocking my escape by their respective wrists. I threw them into their companions with snaps of my wrist

The girls went down, and I leapt over them with my greater stride and strength. I sailed over them before my feet swept up dozens of pinecones that covered the floor.

I was very surprised when one of them managed supersede me and force me to stop by lunging at me with two knives long enough to be swords. I grasped the silver-clad girls wrsits and swept out her legs, expecting her to fall.

I felt a pull on my arms, I thought she was just trying to pull me down so I held resolute.

Two booted heels made contact with my chin, I felt blood well up inside my mouth as I pit into my cheeks by accident.

But I held the kicker's hands firm, slowly dragging my face down despite the enormous pressure exerted by the Hunter's entire body.

My eyes met Zoe Nightshade's and she very well that she last this fight the moment I didn't let go of her arms from her double heeled kick.

I leapt up and dropped her entire back and torso onto the forest floor.

Since she wasn't taking advantage of her new position, I surmised she was knocked out and I could let go of her wrists.

"Oh my gods!" I cried out as I twisted my neck from side to side, wincing internally at the numerous popping sounds that came from the action. "If any god is listening please remind me to never do that again!"

I hate fighting things that weren't idiots…

…


End file.
